Bean-snipper



C. KROTZHL;

BEAN SNIPPER;

APPLICATION FILED MAY13.'19;0.

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BEAN SNIPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY13. 1920.

' 1,365,328. Patented Jan. 11,1921.

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CHARLES KRGTZER, OF BONIEi-AGIUS, IViII ETN'lSOTA, .ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 L. B. IDOUTHITT AND F. W. DOUTHITT, BOTH OLE BIGSTONE CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application filed May 13, 1920. Serial No. 381,089.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHAnLns Knorznn, a cltizen of the United States, residing at St.

Bonifacius, county of I-Iennepin, State of" Minnesota, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bean-Snippers, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to a novel bean-' plicant is aware, the severance of the bean ends is singly effected usually by reversal of the position of the bean or beans held within a container or by reversal of the container. Such machines are provided with intermittent container movement and each single bean must be twice presented to the cutting means. In this novel construction each bean is presented but once to the cutting means and its ends are simultaneously severed. Time and labor loss is largely reduced and production increased. Furthermore, as there is no uniformity in the length of string beans, provision is made in this novel structure to compensate for this lack of uniformity.

The object of this invention is to provide an eflicient string bean snipper.

A further object is to provide a bean snipper in which both ends of the bean may be severed at a single presentation of the bean to the cutting means.

Another object is to provide a bean snipper which will sever both ends of a bean at the same time regar less of its length.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there ht been disclosed a structuredesigned to carry out the objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the assembled machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the knives and feelers;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the knives for severing the ends of a string bean;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing an inner knife released by its feeler;

Fig. 6 is asimilar view showing the knife 7 held in severing position.

In the selected embodiment of this inven: tion here disclosed, there is shown a machine provided with bean cutting means, with means for successively presenting the string beans to the cutting means, and with means automatically operable to cut the ends only of the string beans.

In the preferred form of this invention, the machine is provided with a base 1 upon which is mounted the frames 2 which operatively support the parts of the machine. The string beans are fed into a hopper 3 at the front of the machine from which they are singly carried, preferably by an endless carrier formed of an endless flexible belt a having a series of transverse projections or ledges provided thereon by the transverse bars 5. This carrier functions as the rear of the hopper and the bars 5 engage and upwardly carry the beans. The disposition and dimensions of the bars 5 is such that only one bean may be carried by each bar. This carrier is driven by any suitable means and in this disclosure is shown as actuated by a belt 6 engaging the pulley 7 on the upper shaft 8 of the carrier. The belt 6 is driven by the pulley 9 mounted on the main machine shaft 10 which in turn is driven by a belt 11 mounted on the driving pulley 12 mounted on the shaft 10 on the opposite side of the machine. The belt 11 is actuated by any suitable power means.

As each successively raised bean passes over the roller on the upper shaft 8 of the endless carrier it drops by gravity into the feeding hopper 18 from whence the beans are singly removed by the feeding means which present the beans to the end-severing r cutting means. This feeding means con sists of a movable device adapted to carry each bean singly in a direction normal to the position of the bean on the carrying means. Such bean-feeding means is preferably con structed in the form of a rotatable member having means thereon to carry the beans, Such member is here shown as a wheel 14 mounted fast on the main shaft 10, rotatable therewith, and driven by the belt 11. The circumferential face of this wheel is provided with a plurality of axially disposed bean-carrying means. In this preferred construction the wheel periphery is provided with a plurality of blocks 15, each having its radially outward face substantially tangential to the circumference of the wheel. buch arrangement and shaping of the individual blocks provides a plurality of transversely disposed or axially alined bean holders 16 by which means the string beans may be singly carried. The feed hopper 13 is shaped so that its rear face is formed by the adjacently presented portion of this cylindrical feeding means. The successively presented ledges or holders 16 pass upwardly through the feed hopper and a bean is engaged and carried upwardly by each holder. The radial dimension of each holder is such that only one bean may be carried by each holder, the excess being dropped back by gravity to the feed hopper. The string beans are thus upwardly carried and presented to the severing means which are preferably positioned adjacent the top of the rotatable feeding cylinder. In connection with this type of feeding means, it may be noted that a single cylinder may be formed of any practical width, or the feeding means may be formed of a plurality of adjacent cylinders, and the width of the endless carrier belt 4- and hoppers 3 and 13, may be accordingly altered.

The preferred form of end-severing means consists of a plurality of knives 20, each in dependently movable on a common pivotal mounting provided by the bar 21 mounted in the sleeves 22 which are adjustable on the uprights 23 carried by the frame 2. The sleeves 22 may be retained in a plurality of adjusted positions by means of their set screws 2%. The no "mal position of each knife is such that its cutting edge 25 is within a circumferential groove 26'formed in the peripheral face of the feeding means. The normal position of a knife is shown in Fig. 6. A plurality of such grooves 26 are provided at axially spaced intervals on and extend circumferentially of the cylindrical feeding member. A knife 20 is provided for each groove 26. The width of each cylinder is preferably of a dimension slightly greater than that of the longer string beans to be treated. The two outermost knives 27 are fixed each held constantly in its groove. Each such knife is provided with an extension 28 which upwardly extends and is apertured to permit the passage therethrough of the rod 29 by which m ins each outermost knife is held in cutting position within its outermost groove, and cannot be moved from cutting position. This rod 29 is borne by sleeves 30 adjustably mounted on uprights 31 carried ,by the frame 2. Each sleeve may be moved and retained in adjusted position by means of the set screw 32.

With the construction so far described, the string beans singly carried by the holders 16 would cause the knives 20 to ride up over the surface of the bean and the beans would not be thereby cutwith the single exception of such beans as extended over the outermost grooves whereat they would be cut by the outermost or fixed knives 27. However, due to the lack of natural uniformity of length of string beans, provision must be made by selectively causing the knives to cut whereby the ends only of the beans will be cut and so-that the beans will not be severed at intermediate points. Such is the function of the mechanism which applicant terms the feeling mechanism.

The feelers 40 preferably consist of thin sheet-metal members which are adapted to have the lower end of each extend within and engage the bottom of a groove 26. These feelers 40 are, similarly to the knives, apertured at their upper ends in order that each may be pivotally mounted on the bar 21. A knife and feeler is positioned within each groove 26. When a bean portion is encountered by a feeler in its passage through its groove, the feeler edge cams over the surface of the bean portion and is thereby raised. If the bean does not extend across the groove in which a given feeler passes, such feeler is not raised but remains within the groove. The raising or elevating of a feeler by a bean portion determines, in this machine, the selection of the particular knife to be. held in cutting position.

The width of each groove 26 is such that it may receive a feeler and a knife, and means are provided whereby the position as sumed by any given feeler controls the ac tion of the knife in the next inner groove. This function is achieved by means of latches. Each pivoted knife 20 is provided with a latch. Each latch comprises a base 41 which is apertured to permit its pivotal mounting upon the rod 29. j A pair of arms extend from the base of each latch and include a knife arm 42 and a feeler arm &3. The feeler arm is shaped to provide an offset portion d4: which engages the inclined edge 45 of its feeler and is adapted to slide thereover upon movement of the feeler. The motion communicated to the feeler arm 43 by any feeler causes the knife arm 42 to move. The end of each knife arm 42 normally rests upon a shoulder 46 formed 011 the knife. The action of each knife is governed by the next outer feeler. In other words, while the knives and feelers are disposed in pairs in each groove, it is to be understood that a feeler does not govern the action of the knife in the same groove, but does govern the action of the next innerknife. These knives and feelers are pivotally mounted on the bar 2.1 in pairs and are held in spaced relation by sleeves l7. grooves are provided with knives only, as feelers are not necessary in these grooves, as each feeler controls the next inner knife.

In Fig. 6, a string bean' 48 is shown as presented to the under edge of the feeler 40, the feeler, its next inner or complementary knife, and latch being shown in normal position in which the knife is held by its latch arm 42 in cutting position. In Fig. 5, the feeler is indicated as having been elevated by the moving bean, such elevation having caused the offset portion a4. to have cammed down the inclined edge 45 and thereby caused the knife arm 42 of the latch to have been raised from knife engaging position, whereby the knife is released and thereby permitted to ride on the bean surface without cutting the bean. It may be noted that the knives, feelers and latches are all so pivoted that they return by gravity afterthe passage of a bean to normal operative position, ready for the succeeding bean.

Upon severance of the ends, the string beans are deposited upon the delivery chute 49, having a base 50 preferably of meshed wire so that the ends may drop there through while the strin beans may slide to a suitable receptacle. uch delivery chute may be secured to the frame 2, as by braces 51.

There is thus provided a simple, easily and inexpensively constructed bean snipper which is effective and certain in operation and in which the power consumption is relatively slight. Such a machine demands only a small part of the time of an operative and its production is high.

I claim as my invention:

1. A string-beansnipper including a beanpresenting means, and bean-cutting means automatically controlled by the presented bean to cause the ends only of the bean to be severed.

2. A string-bean snipper including means simultaneously to sever both ends of a bean, means to present a bean to the severing means, and means automatically operable to prevent the severance of the bean except at its ends.

3. A string-bean snipper including means sin'iultaneously to sever both ends of a bean, means successively to present beans to the severing means, and feelers positioned within the path of said beans and adapted automatically to cause the simultaneous severance of the ends of the beans.

4. A string-bean snipper including beancutting means, means to present a bean to the cutting means, and means automatically operable to control the cutting means to cause the end portions of the beans to be severed.

5. A string-bean snipper including a plu- The two innermost rality of cutting members, means to present a bean to said members, feelers to control the cutting members to cause the end portions only of the bean to be severed.

6. A string-bean snipper including a plurality of bean-cutting means normally held in cutting position, means to present a bean to the cutting means, and means operable by the presented bean selectively to release one or more of the members whereby the ends only of the bean are severed.

7. A string-bean snipper including a movable bean-feeding means, a plurality of cut ting members mounted in the path of the beans, means actuated by the moving bean to permit severance of the end portion of the bean and to prevent severance of the intermediate portions thereof.

8. A string-bean snipper including a movable bean-feeding means, a plurality of knives mounted at spaced intervals in the path of the feeding means, a feeler cooperable with each knife to hold the same in cutting position or to release the knife therefrom, each feeler cooperating with its in- Wardly adjacent knife whereby, when a feeler does not engage a bean, its cooperating knife is held in cutting position and when a feeler does engage a bean, its knife is released, and thereby the ends only of the beans are severed.

9. A string-bean snip per including a movable bean-feeding means, a plurality of knives pivotally mounted at spaced intervals in the path of the beans in normal cutting position, a plurality of feelers pivotally mounted adjacent the knives and adapted to engage portions of each bean, means on each feeler to control the movement of its inwardly adjacent knife whereby when a feeler engages a bean its knife is inoperative and when said feeler does not engage a bean its knife is maintained in cutting position so that the ends only of the bean are severed.

10. A string-bean snipper including a movable bean-feeding means, a plurality of grooves formed at spaced intervals on said feeding means, a plurality of cutting members mounted to project normally within said grooves, said means being adapted to have beans positioned thereon transversely of said grooves, and means cooperating with said cutting members to retain the cutting members adjacent the ends of the bean in normal cutting position and to permit the members intermediate the ends to be moved to non-cutting position.

11. A string-bean snipper including a plurality of bean cutting members, means for presenting beans to said members, means automatically to select the members adapted to cut the ends of said beans and means operable upon said selection to cause the selected members to cut.

12. Astring-bean shipper including a plurality of cutting members normally held in cutting position, means for successively presenting beans to said cutting members, and means to release all members except those adapted to cut the ends of each bean.

13. A string-bean snipper including a plurality of knives arranged in alined spaced relation and normally held in cutting position, a feeler for each knife and spaced therefrom, means for successively presenting beans to said knives, each feeler, upon engagement With a bean, being adapted to release its knife whereby such knife is in0perative.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of April, 1920.

' CHARLES KROTZER. 

